Cassidy
by Redvines1595
Summary: Cas has felt alone and abandoned her whole life, especially after her father died. That is, until a mysterious man visits her in her dream, showing her a way out. He leads her to a wondrous world where she can be whatever she wants. However, what she doesn't realize is that her absence takes a great toll on those back on earth that care about her. [Rated T for language]
1. Chapter 1

**So, this story takes place in between Ironman 3 and Thor: The Dark World. I know there's a lot of ambiguity in the beginning, but it will all make sense as the story progresses.**

* * *

Boredom had set in days ago. I was so bored that I couldn't read, watch TV, do anything. But I suppose that's to be expected when you're left home alone in an unfamiliar place.

I laid on the couch, my body sprawled across it as I stared up at the blank, white ceiling. Steve had left on a mission three days ago and I feel like I haven't left the spot since. It wasn't uncommon for me to be left alone in his apartment for a few days, but this felt overly oppressing. I didn't know how much longer I could go on like this without doing something… drastic.

He said this would happen, that I'd get bored with this way of living. If you can even call it living. He also said that there was a better life out there for me. I have no idea what he meant. Fucking asshole, always talking in metaphors and riddles. That horned bastard. Who the fuck has horns anyways? Isn't that the sign of a bad guy?

But he hasn't been around in a while. Not that I'm surprised. He probably gave up on me. They always do. They always leave.

I shook my head, dark strands of hair falling over my face. I need to stop thinking about it. I sat up with a groan, my muscles aching from laying there for so long. I stood up and stretched my arms, my eyes scanning the apartment for something to do. They fell upon the kitchen. What does an eighteen year old girl do when she's bored? Eat.

As I made my way over to the kitchen, I heard the door open. "Cas?" Steve called out as he entered the apartment and closed the door behind him. A smile spread across my face at the sound of his voice and I turned around to see him. He wasn't smiling.

"You okay there, Cap?" I asked him with furrowed brows. It didn't seem like he was hurt or angry at me or something.

Steve let out a heavy sigh as he dropped his bag on the floor and took a seat on the couch. "I need to talk to you."

"Okay?" I watched him warily as I sat down on the coffee table in front of him. "What are we talking about?"

He stayed silent for a moment, only making me worry more. "I talked to the rest of the Avengers today…"

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Okay. What's new? You do that all the time."

"We were talking about you." Steve finally looked up to meet my eyes. "I hate that I always have to leave you here by yourself, especially after your dad died… I just- We don't think that it's healthy for you. You need someone who can look after you and that person isn't me. I'm not around enough to be able to do that."

I stared at him with a blank expression on my face, more confused than ever. "So… What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that we all think that you should go stay with someone else. It's not that I don't want you here because I do. It's nice not being alone all the time. But you are always left here alone. Pretty much everyone is okay with you going to stay with them-"

"Stop!" My voice came out much louder than I had been expecting, scaring both of us. I shook my head at him with a sigh. "I'm not going to let you people pass me around from person to person like I'm in the foster system. I'm eighteen. I can go live on my own if I wanted."

"But you won't," Steve replied. "You've been with SHIELD your whole life. You don't know how to live in the real world."

I looked down at my hands in my lap. I hated it when he said stuff like that, when he was right. "So? You can't do that to me, Steve."

"I know," he nodded. "That's why I'm letting you choose where you want to go. No where's off limits."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, a bad habit that I really need to get rid of. I understood where Steve was coming from. I wasting away by sitting here everyday, doing nothing with my life. I couldn't even join SHIELD if I wanted to. My dad made sure of that. "I don't know," I said quietly. "I mean… Fury is too busy running SHIELD. Clint and Natasha are rarely even in the country. Bruce is too scared of hulking out on me… I don't know what to do."

Steve let out a quiet sigh and nodded his head. "What about Tony? He's got a place in New York, not too far away. Even when he's gone, you wouldn't be alone."

I nodded as I considered his suggestion and shrugged my shoulders. "I guess that wouldn't be too bad. Tony's pretty cool."

He chuckled softly and nodded. "Yeah, that's one way to put it."

I smirked at him slightly, but it soon faded. "So, what happens next? Call him up and say, 'Hey! I'm moving in!'? Or am I just going to show up at his doorstep?"

"I'll call him," Steve said with a small smile. "It would probably be a good idea for you to go start packing your things."

I stood slowly, chewing my cheek again as I slowly walked over to my small bedroom. I stopped just outside the door and turned back to Steve. "You're not going to just forget about me, right?"

He shook his head at me with a sigh. "I'd never forget about you," he assured me. But I knew it was a lie. They always forgot about me.

I closed the door behind me without another word to him. Grabbing my bag from under the bed, I began packing up the few things I had. Clothes mostly, a couple of books, things I had from my parents. I've never had much, never needed much. Made moving fairly easy for me.

After I finished putting my things in the bag, I reached over and locked the door. I just couldn't deal with Steve at that point, didn't want to risk him pitying me any more than he already did. I laid down on the bed, staring up at the plain ceiling.

Just as suspected, Steve knocked on the door. "Cas? I, um, I made dinner, if you're hungry? I thought, maybe, we could watch a movie or something?"

I stayed quiet, ignoring him. It was his own fault, really. He was abandoning me, just like everyone else. He deserved to be ignored.

I reached over for my phone on the bedside table, deciding to blast some AC/DC until he left me alone. I turned the volume all the way up. Steve had given up without much effort. Not that I was surprised.

I closed my eyes and let the music consume my entire being, clearing my mind. Maybe he'd come visit me again? Hopefully he hadn't given up on me, too.


	2. Chapter 2

I opened my eyes only to be blinded by a bright white light. I stood up, looking around to find the space empty, completely void of anything. I knew this blank place.

There was a maniacal cackling all around me, filling the room. He was coming. He hadn't forgotten about me. He was the only one.

The laughing stopped and I saw something dark move out of the corner of my eye. I whipped my head around, only to find that there was no one there. There was a soft chuckle coming from behind me. I turned around, but, still, no one was there. I was getting sick of this stupid game. "Knock it off!" I shouted out.

"But where would be the fun in that?" I heard him say from behind me. I could practically hear the smirk on his face.

I turned around again slowly. His emerald eyes gleamed at me along with his cheshire grin. It was almost unnerving. "You're going to give me whiplash," I scolded him, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"Then, please, forgive me," he replied with a mocking bow. "I never intended to bring you harm."

I nodded my head slightly, staring down at the floor as I bit my lip softly. He stood up straight and looked at me with furrowed brows. Next thing I knew, he was standing right in front of me, lifting my chin gently. "Cassidy, I truly am sorry."

I smiled softly at him and shook my head. "No, it's not that…" I let out a quiet sigh. "I thought you'd abandoned me like everyone else."

I was surprised when he smiled back at me. It wasn't like his devilish grin; it was a genuinely happy smile, soft and true. "I would never abandon you," he said quietly with a shake of his head.

I couldn't help but smile back at him happily. No one had ever said that to me before. I know that it was all happening in my head, that he wasn't actually there, but it just felt so _real_. However, his answer led him to ask more questions. "Why would you think that I'd abandon you? Did I not give you my word that I would always be there when you most needed me?"

I nodded my head at him slowly. "Yes, it's just… Everyone leaves eventually. My parents. Steve. I thought you had, too."

"The captain left you?" He furrowed his brows at me before anger overcame him. "I will smite him for this injustice towards you!"

"No!" I shook my head at him with wide eyes. "No! It's not his fault. He's never around anyway. He's just trying to do what's best for me. It's just that that happens to be sending me away to live with someone else…"

His expression softened a bit. "Who?"

"Tony Stark," I replied.

"The man of iron?"

I nodded my head at him and shrugged my shoulders lightly. "I don't think it'll be so bad. Tony's a good guy, even if a lot of people don't think so."

"As long as he keeps you safe and happy," he replied.

It became obvious to me that this guy really cared about me and, yet, I didn't even know who he was. I watched him carefully as he reached out and gently ran his fingers through my dark, wavy hair. I wanted to pull away from him, but it was almost as if I was frozen to the spot. All I could do was stare up at him.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" He asked lowly as his green eyes met my grey ones. It didn't seem like he meant it in a sensual or provocative way. He wanted to make sure he wasn't overstepping any boundaries.

I shook my head slowly. "Who are you?" My voice came out quiet and hoarse. I had to know.

A genuine smile formed on his lips. "Of course, how rude of me," he said, taking a step back and bowing slightly. "I am Loki of Asgard."

Loki. My head spun with his name. I knew I had heard it somewhere, but I couldn't remember where or why. Rather than questioning it, I gave him an awkward little curtsy. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Loki." His name sounded weird leaving my lips. It felt like I was dropping an f-bomb around my dad, like it was forbidden.

I think Loki sensed my uneasiness; he reached out and placed his hand on my arm with furrowed brows. "Cassidy? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I nodded with a slight smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

It didn't seem like he believed me. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of someone calling my name. Loki sighed heavily. "I suppose this is goodbye for now."

I nodded my head slowly in agreement. "You'll come see me again, though, right?"

He smiled at me softly. "Of course, I will." He gently took my hand in his, bringing it to his lips. "Farewell, Cassidy."

I rolled over in bed with a groan, folding the pillow up to cover my ears; the incessant knocking was driving me insane. "Cas!" I could hear Steve's voice from the other side of the door. "Cas, come on!. Get up. It's after ten."

I laid in bed for a few more minutes before sitting up, yawning as I stretched out my arms. The fingers of my left hand tingled slightly, almost as if Loki's kiss still lingered there. But that would be completely impossible. It was only a dream.

Steve knocked on the door again. "Cassidy!"

"Okay! I'm up!" I got up and went to the door, pulling it open to see him standing just outside my room. "What?"

"You're supposed to be at Tony's in an hour," he said quietly. He bit his lip softly. "Um, breakfast is on the stove."

"Okay," I replied, just as quiet. I could tell that he didn't want me to go. Hell, I didn't want to go. I liked living with Steve. I just didn't like being alone all the time. With a sigh, I began to close the door. "I'll be right out."

I leaned back against the closed door and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. I hadn't realized that I was crying until I opened them again, seeing my reflection in the mirror that hung over the dresser. Wiping my cheeks, I went over and packed up the last of my things, silently praying that this new life would stick.


	3. Chapter 3

**I apologize for the wait. Honestly, I wasn't planning on finishing this but lizziecats convinced me to continue. So, thank you, lizziecats. I dedicate this chapter to you. I know it isnt the longest, but future chapters will definitely make up for it. Enjoy!**

Chapter Three

I was awoken by the sound of clanging pots. "Rise and shine!" Tony practically sang as I buried my head under my pillow. It was too early for this. Hell, any time of day is too early for this.

"Okay!" I shouted at him as I finally sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "I'm up!'

"Great!" Tony replied as he dropped the pots on the floor with another big "clang!". "We've got a big day ahead of us!"

It took ten minutes for me to get him to leave the room so I could get ready. Man, that guy can talk. This isn't exactly what I had expected when I agreed to move in with him.

I showered quickly before changing into a pair of jeans and my Guns 'N Roses t-shirt. I left my hair down to air dry before leaving my room.

Tony was in the kitchen, attempting to make breakfast. I sat down on a stool at the island counter and watched as he juggled burnt toast onto a plate. I couldn't help the quiet giggle that escaped my lips and caused Tony to turn around and look at me. "Breakfast is served!" He announced as he placed a plate in front of me. Two slices of burnt toast with a side of bacon.

"Thanks, Tony," I smiled at him a bit. Maybe living with him wouldn't be so bad after all? He came around and sat on the stool next to me before we both began to eat. "So, tell me about this 'big day' you've got planned for us."

Tony grinned at me, despite his mouthful of toast. He swallowed before answering. "Well, first, I'm going to give you the Stark Tower Grand Tour," he announced. "Then, I was thinking we could go get some lunch. Have you ever had Schwarma? It's a hell of a lot better than it sounds. Trust me. And after that-"

I could tell how excited he was to have me around.I don't think I'd ever seen him smile so much in the however many years I've known him. But I knew why he was so eager to spend time with me. He felt as though he owed it to my dad. He couldn't protect him, so now he's trying to take care of me. "Tony," I said after he'd finished explaining our itinerary for the day, "you don't have to do all this. I'm just happy to live somewhere that I won't be alone all the time."

He leaned towards me a bit with a raised brow and looked me right in the eyes. "Deal with it." We both smiled a bit. "Now go put some shoes on. We've got a tour to start."

"I see that your first day with the Man of Iron went rather well."

"Yeah," I nodded my head a bit. "It wasn't so bad. Well, at least until he set his workshop on fire. It seems like that's a regular thing with him."

Loki nodded his head solemnly, his brows furrowed. I watched him closely, trying to figure out what he was thinking as I tugged at the hem of my shirt. "Is something wrong?" I finally asked him.

He sighed and I couldn't help but hear a sense of sadness in it. "You are alone no more," he said softly. "My presence is no longer needed."

"You're wrong!" I exclaimed. "I mean, why wouldn't I need you? You're the only one who's never left."

A small smile graced his lips as my dream began to fade. "Until we meet again. Cassidy."


End file.
